Disgraced former minister dies

Lord Lambton, a former defence minister who resigned after he was photographed smoking cannabis in bed with two prostitutes, has died at his Italian home aged 84.

News of his death on Saturday was announced in his local paper La Nazione with a notice placed in the announcements column.

There was no answer at his home Villa Cetinale but local people said Lord Lambton's body was to be moved to Siena where it would be cremated after a private service.

Anthony Lambton was one of two ministers who resigned from Ted Heath's government as a result of call girl scandals. The other was the Leader of the House of Lords Lord Jellicoe.

Lord Lambton's sex and drugs expose in 1973 sent shockwaves through the government.

He was brought down after pictures of him in bed with the call girls were passed to the News of the World.

Following an investigation by the security services, he was denied access to secret material because of fears that he could be blackmailed.

He resigned and moved to Italy where he bought Villa Cetinale, a 400-year-old estate.

After he was exposed, Lord Lambton told an MI5 officer he had thrown himself into a "frenzied" round of vigorous "gardening and debauchery" to get over the fact he had lost a three year battle over the use of father's title.

He succeeded to the Earldom of Durham upon his father's death on in 1970, but disclaimed it to continue as MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed. However, he continued to insist on being addressed as Lord Lambton.